Facebook’s new Scrapbook feature lets parents tag their children in photos

Kids under 13 are about to have an official presence on Facebook with the introduction of Scrapbook, a feature that lets parents tag their children in photos.

For Facebook users already weary of cute baby pictures this is hardly encouraging news and suggests a bigger flood to come, but is it the shape of Facebook to come?

Zuckerberg has made no secret of his belief that kids under 13 could or should enjoy a safe existence on Facebook and Facebook today is a multi-generational affair rather than the edgy social network of choice for teens and 20-somethings that Facebook began as. In fact, those edgy early adopters of 11 years ago are now the ones most likely posting those cutesy baby pics.

Today’s teens and 20-somethings are most likely to be found on Instagram and WhatsApp (both owned by Facebook) or over on Snapchat or elsewhere. One teen memorably described Facebook recently as a bit like attending a family dinner party.

“Our team ran a small survey for parents who share pictures of their children on Facebook and found that 65pc of them tag their partner in these photos to share them with their partner’s friends. These same parents also told us they want to collect photos of their little ones in a place that will grow with them over the years.

“With these insights in mind, we set out to help people who are already sharing and tagging photos of their children on Facebook have a better experience. We’re starting to pilot an optional way for you to organize photos of your child, using a special tag you choose to create. If you choose to tag your child in a photo it will be added to a customizable scrapbook. And, photos you choose to tag can be shared with your friends and your partner’s friends.”

Safety

As expected, this new closer and connected kid-friendly Facebook will have to have safety features.

Users can only opt to co-own a Scrapbook with a partner who you’re in a relationship with on Facebook.

Only both partners can choose what photos they wish to use and what they wish call the tag – either the child’s name or initials.

“To start a scrapbook for your child, go to your profile, click on About and click on Family and Relationships,” Barak explained.

“There, you’ll see an invitation to create a scrapbook; just click Get Started. If you’ve already added a child to your profile, you can click Add Scrapbook next to his or her name. This feature will start rolling out today in the US on Facebook for desktop, iPhone and Android.”